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In-jokes and references/Eastern Kingdoms
<< In-Jokes and References ---- Blizzard has included many in-jokes and pop-culture references in various forms throughout WoW. Characters Alchemist Fuely and Alchemist Cuely * Alchemists Fuely and Cuely are located in The Apothecarium of the Undercity. Their names are a reference to the anime series FLCL, or 'Fooly Cooly'. Alessandro Luca *In the Undercity there is an NPC named Alessandro Luca standing in the Blue Moon Odds and Ends shop. This is a reference from the Swedish name for Gladstone Gander in the Donald Duck series, Alexander Lukas. Alexander Calder *In Ironforge, in the Forlorn Cavern, there is a warlock trainer named Alexander Calder. This is a reference to the famous American sculptor and artist Alexander Calder, attributed with inventing the mobile. Appropriately, there is a mobile in the same room with the character. Algernon *In the Undercity there is an NPC named Algernon. In his right hand he is holding flowers, a reference to Daniel Keyes' short story "Flowers for Algernon" written in 1960. Auctioneers * There is an Auctioneer O'reely in Booty Bay and an Auctioneer Yarly in the Undercity which refers to the popular "Orly" owls. * In Undercity there is an auctioneer named Auctioneer Naxxremas, whose last name is almost identical to the raid dungeon Naxxramas. Any connection to the two, other than the fact that Kel'thuzad, master of Naxxramas, was the originater of the plague that created the undead, remains to be seen. Bankers * The three bankers in Stormwind are named after the lead female actor in the movie 'Grease' - Olivia Newton John. * The male bankers in Ironforge are named for the legendary Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, while Cirque du Soleil provides the name of the female banker. * The bankers in the Undercity have names which reference William Shakespeare. They share the last name Montague, a reference to Romeo and Juliet, it being the first title character's last name. Their First names however are the main characters' names from the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places with Dan Akroyd. The female banker, Ophelia Montague, is a reference to Shakespeare's character Ophelia from Hamlet, who dies in the story. She is represented in-game as a ghost. Baros Alexston * The Stormwind City architect is named Baros Alexston, possibly named after a MotoGP racer Alex Barros. Similar case may also apply for Alexei Barov and Alexi Barov. Benny Blaanco *In Westfall, in a house in one of the farm, there is a Defias NPC called Benny Blaanco, who is John Leguizamo's character of the same name in the movie "Carlito's Way" (without the extra 'a' in the name). Players usually encounter him while doing The Forgotten Heirloom quest. Bingles * The name of the flying hero in the Save Bingles! quest in Ironforge/Dun Morogh is a reference to the fictional World War I flying ace in the books by Captain WE Johns, Major James Bigglesworth, who is usually known as "Biggles." Bloodlord Mandokir *The boss Bloodlord Mandokir sometimes says "Ding!" (and occasionally receives a reply of "Grats!" from Jin'do) when he "levels up" while you're fighting him... recreating the exchange heard every day in guild channels throughout Azeroth when guild members level up. Brother Joshua and Brother Kristoff *One of the priest trainers in Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City is named Brother Joshua. There is also another NPC just outside the cathedral named Brother Kristoff. The names probably a reference to Brother Joshua Christopher in Chrono Crusade. Champion's Hall NPCs *Many of the NPCs in the Champion's Hall in Stormwind are named after characters from the television series Stargate SG-1. NPCs include Captain O'Neil (Colonel Jack O'Neil), Lieutenant Karter (Captain Samantha Carter), Guard Hammon (Major General George Hammond), Guard Quine (Jonas Quinn), and Lieutenant Jackspring (Dr. Daniel Jackson). Colonel Kurzen *Colonel Kurzen is a reference to fictitious Colonel Kurtz in the early 20th Century novel, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. That novel and character in also the basis for Apocalypse Now's Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, who has retreated to a camp in the Jungle. Dagun *In the quest "The Star, The Heart, and The Hand", players are employed to slay a sea giant called Dagun, which is a reference to the H.P. Lovecraft short story Dagon Deathguard names * Deathguard Terrence and Deathguard Phillip might be named after the comedy duo popular with the kids on South Park. Their names may, however, simply be coincidence since they are only two of twenty-three named Deathguards in Tirisfal Glades (according to thottbot) and are not located near one another. Doctor Herbert Halsey *In Undercity the expert alchemy trainer is named Doctor Herbert Halsey. This is a reference to two key characters: Herbert West and Dr. Halsey, in the pulp horror novel The Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft. In the book Herbert West creates an alchemical substance that can reanimate dead tissue. Elfarran Elfarran is a Warsong Gulch battlemaster in stormwind is named after a charicter from Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy. Edward and Tyler *In Undercity, there are two NPCs named Edward and Tyler fighting. This references Fight Club, the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk, later made into a movie starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. (Edward of course refers to Edward Norton and Tyler refers to Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt). There are also supporting characters in the area named Robert Gossom, Chloe Curthas and Marla Fowler, references to Fight Club characters Robert Paulson, Chloe (cancer patient) and Marla Singer. *It is also interesting to note that in WarCraft III Undead campaign Chapter 1 there is a place where two civilians named Robert and Tyler (once again referencing Fight Club) are fighting with a large crowd watching. Finkle Einhorn *Finkle Einhorn is a mob in Upper Blackrock Spire. He's a reference to the Ace Ventura, Pet Detective characters Ray Finkle and Lois Einhorn, who (spoiler) turn out to be the same person. Franclorn Forgewright *The Dark Iron architech, who can be encountered as a ghost in Blackrock Mountain is named after Frank Lloyd Wright, just as the engineering trainer below. Franklin Lloyd *In Undercity there is an engineer named Franklin Lloyd, an homage to the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Fenrus the Devourer *An Elite wolf in Shadowfang Keep, named after Fenris, who is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf in Norse mythology. Fenris was chained by Tyr, and in revenge, he bit off Tyr's hand. There is a chain in the same room as Fenrus is in, lying on the floor. Also, "at the day of Ragnarok, Fenris will break his chains and join the giants in their battle against the gods. He will seek out Odin and devour him." Ragnarok being the Norse version of the Christian 'apocalypse'. Gammerita *An elite turtle in the Hinterlands, the focus of two quests, is named Gammerita, a slight twist on the legendary turtle monster of Godzilla fame, Gamera. Grimlock *One of the mini-bosses found in the instance Uldaman, Grimlok is a trogg whose name is derived from the Tyranosaurus Rex transformer of the same name. He even says a line which the transformer says in "Transformers: The Movie" - that line being "Me Grimlock king!". Groundskeeper Wyllithen *A quest NPC blood elf in Eversong armed with a shovel. A reference to Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons. Wyllithen also wears working pants with suspenders and has red hair. Haggle *The gnome "Haggle" in the Deeprun Tram, will say the phrase: "Forty-two... forty-two... forty-two what? It could be anything! Forty-two... hmmm..." This is a reference to the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" in which the answer to the "ultimate question" is Forty-two. However, the "ultimate question" is more of a mystery, leaving the reader to speculate what question "Forty-two" could possibly answer (The question, of course, is "What is six times nine?"). In the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" book a giant computer is built that could answer the "ultimate question": "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?" *The name itself may be a reference to a character in the movie Labryinth. This movie contains a gnomish character named Hoggle, who is often mistakenly called Haggle in the film. Hemet Nesingwary *This world-class hunter's name Hemet Nesingwary comes from rearranging the letters in Ernest Hemingway's name. In addition to writing, Hemingway was also an active hunter. His companions S. J. Erlgadin and Ajeck Rouack are anagrams of J.D. Salinger and Jack Kerouac, respectively. Nesingwary's book, "The Green Hills of Stranglethorn", references Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa". Hin Denburg *At the zep tower for Undercity, one of the goblins is named Hin Denburg, a reference to The Hindenburg(Lz-129) that blew up at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 5/6/1937. Jungle Book *In Stranglethorn Vale, the elite panther Bag'theera is a direct reference to the Jungle Book's black panther Bagheera. Lord Tony Romano *The name of one of the rogue trainers in the Stormwind is a reference to Tony Soprano, one of the main characters in a TV series, "The Sopranos". Marduk Blackpool *Marduk Blackpool aka Marduk the Black, one of the optional bosses in Scholomance is a reference to the ancient Mesopotamian Deity (and also the black metal band) Marduk Master Smith Burninate *Located in Thorium Point. The word "Burninate" is an online joke that has been popular ever since the Homestarrunner.com episode of Strongbad Email about Trogdor the Burninator. Matt Hooper *Matt Hooper is a fishing trainer in Lakeshire. He is named for the marine biologist in Jaws (played by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie). Norman Bates * The innkeeper at Undercity and Sepulcher are named Innkeeper Norman and Innkeeper Bates. A reference to the main character of the movie "Psycho", Norman Bates, who is also an innkeeper. Nurse Neela Nurse Neela is the first aid trainer located in Gallows' End Tavern in Brill, in the forsaken starting zone of Tirisfal Glades. She is likely named after a character named Dr. Neela Rasgotra of the TV show E.R. fame. Oglethorpe Obnoticus *Oglethorpe Obnoticus is a reference to the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. One of its characters is an alien named Oglethorpe, who consults a disco ball named Obnoticus for guidance. (Thottbot) Patrick Garrett *In Undercity at the inn, the questgiver Patrick Garrett is named after the man who shot Billy the Kid in the back, killing him. Ragnaros *Ragnaros, the elemental fire lord's name, is refering to Ragnarok, which is belived to be the end of the world in Norse mythology. When this happens the world tree, Yggdrasil, burns down to the ground which fits with Ragnaros's power to set things on fire. Also there is the Scandinavian name Ragnar, coming from the word ragn which means 'gods' or 'the ruling'. Remy "Two Times" *Remy "Two Times", NPC in Goldshire, is named after Jimmy "Two Times" - a character of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas". They both occasianally repeat some parts of their sentences twice. Rend Blackhand *If you wipe at the Rend Blackhand event in UBRS, Nefarian (Lord Victor Nefarius) occasionally says "served" followed by Rend yelling "woot!". This saying is often used by players after a long battle against a relatively hard boss. *A while later, Rend also yells: "No one touch that corpse! Those boots are mine!" Which is a mockery of the paranoia of greedy players. Sergeant Hartman the NPC in Southshore who gives halloween quests to Alliance members during that period, is a reference to Sergeant Hartman, the sergent instructor of the movie Full Metal Jacket Short John Mithril *The pirate named Short John Mithril, appearing every three hours in the Gurubashi Arena and placing a lootable treasure chest, is a reference to Long John Silver, the pirate from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Sprock, Scooty, Smiles O'Byron, Jhordy Lapforge, and Auctioneer Rhyker *The two goblins that operate the transporter that takes you from Gnomeregan to Booty Bay (and vice versa) are named Sprok and Scooty, a reference to Spock and Scotty from Star Trek. Theres also another transporter operator in Gadgetzan named Jhordy Lapforge, this time a reference to the chief engineer in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Geordi La Forge. Smiles O'Byron, the Gnome NPC at the transporter in Toshley's Station is likewise a reference to The Next Generation's Transporter Chief, Miles O'Brien. Auctioneer Rhyker is found in the Undercity, and the name could be a possible reference to William T. Riker, the First-Officer to Captain Picard, from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Stephen Ryback and Erika Tate *In Stormwind, the cooking trainer and supplier are named Stephen Ryback and Erika Tate, respectively. These NPCs are references to the movie Under Siege, in which Steven Seagal played a cook named Casey Ryback, and Erika Eleniak played Jordan Tate. Techbot *Techbot in Gnomeregan says things the support department would say. It also spawns a critter named "Dupe Bug", a reference to a Diablo II bug. Some of his other spells include "Battlenet" (a snare) and "Lag" (a slowing effect). Battle.net is Blizzard's Internet platform that allows players to play against one another in Warcraft and StarCraft. Lag is the slowing down of an Internet connection. Terry Palin *There is a lumberjack in Elwynn forest by the name of Terry Palin. His name is a reference to Terry Jones and Michael Palin, the two members of Monty Python who wrote the famous Lumberjack song. Thor *In Westfall the gryphon master is named Thor. He is a reference to Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Timmy the Cruel *The zombie boss Timmy in Stratholme is a reference to Timmy from South Park. Timmy the Cruel similarly has a habit of yelling his name all the time. There is also a reference to the Timmy in Warcraft III, he is seen in Andorhal in Chapter 4 of the Human Campain. Tomas *In Goldshire there is a low level Cooking trainer named Tomas. This is a reference to the well-known UK-based tour operator Thomas Cook. Topper McNabb *One of the things panhandler Topper McNabb in Stormwind says is "I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today." The character of Wimpy in the Popeye cartoons often said this. *Topper McNabb will occasionally say "It's all their fault, stupid Alliance army. Just had to build their towers right behind my farm". In Warcraft 3, a common tactic to prevent the enemy from easily destroying towers was to place them behind farms so that the enemy units would have to path through the cluster of farms to get to the tower. Winstone Wolfe *In Ravenholdt Manor (which is a rogue-specific destination), there is a well dressed but fierce-looking man named Winstone Wolfe. This is a reference to the movie 'Pulp Fiction', which has a character named Winston Wolf, who is a well dressed, fierce-looking character with some roguish tendencies. Woo Ping *The weapon master in Stormwind is named after Yuen Woo Ping, a martial arts choreographer for various movies. Wu Shen *One of the warrior trainers in Stormwind is possibly named after a Chinese artist, Han Wu Shen. Blanchy In Westfall there is a horse named Old Blanchy, if you goto the Caverns of Time: Old Hillsbrad, then during the escort section you enter the Tarren Mill barn, which houses Young Blanchy Locations A Tailor to Cities *In Booty Bay there is a tailor shop named "A Tailor to Cities", a reference to Charles Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities". Crystal Lake *Near Goldshire there is a lake named "Crystal Lake", with an NPC named Jason nearby. This is a reference to the popular horror movie series "Friday the 13th", and its homicidal antagonist, Jason Voorhees. Hammerfall *The city Hammerfall is likely to be a reference to the swedish metal band HammerFall. Since Blizzard's art director has created several covers for HammerFall-albums, this reference is quite likely to be true. Tyr's Hand *Tyr's Hand in Eastern Plaguelands is a reference to Tyr, who is an ancient Norse God who lost his hand when the Nordic Gods were playing a trick on Fenris the wolf. The Gods played this trick by capturing Fenris and saying it was part of a game, and should let them chain him up as part of the game. Tyr guaranteed the deal by sticking his hand in Fenris' mouth as a sort of hostage. When Fenris found out it was a trick, and the Gods would not let him go, Tyr allowed him to bite his hand off. The Slaughtered Lamb *In Stormwind the warlock tavern named "The Slaughtered Lamb" is in reference to the film "An American Werewolf in London", which in itself is referencing a real tavern of the same name, that existed just north of London. The Five Deadly Venoms * In Stormwind there is a location called "The Five Deadly Venoms", which references the English release name of a Chinese action movie, "Wu Du". It can be found in Old Town. Category:Blizzard Entertainment Category:Lore In-Jokes and References